Tofwerk Ag

Stephan Graf

Michael Kamrath

Sebastian Gerber

The invention relates to a method for generating a layout of electrodes for an ion guide for transporting ions along an ion path, the ion guide comprising electrodes arranged in the layout of electrodes along the ion path for transporting the ions along the ion path. For generating the layout of electrodes, a layout path corresponding to said the path is assumed and the layout of electrodes is generated along the layout path. The layout of electrodes and the layout path are in reference to a global reference system, wherein the layout of electrodes includes at least two layout subunits which are arranged in succession along the layout path, wherein each one of the at least two layout subunits is of one of at least one layout subunit type. The method includes defining the at least one layout subunit type, wherein each one of the at least one layout subunit type includes type information, the type information being adopted by each layout subunit of the respective one of the at least one layout subunit type. The type information includes a subunit electrode layout of at least one subunit electrode, the subunit electrode layout being in reference to a subunit reference system, wherein in the subunit electrode layout, each one of the at least one subunit electrode has a local position in the subunit reference system and is assigned to a class of electrodes, wherein the respective class of electrodes is associated with a type of voltage pattern to be applied to the electrodes belonging to the respective the class of electrodes. Furthermore, the type information includes a layout subunit position identifier for identifying a position of the subunit electrode layout in the global reference system. The method includes building up at least one segment of the layout of electrodes by assigning to each one of the at least two layout subunits one of the at least one layout subunit type and positioning each one of the at least two layout subunits at a respective position along the layout path.

Method for generating a layout of electrodes for an ion guide

The invention relates to a method for, in an ion guide (), modulating a stream of ions according to a modulation function, wherein the stream of ions includes at least N different ion species, wherein N is at least 1. This ion guide () forms an ion guide path, wherein the ions of the stream of ions are conveyed along the ion guide path in a conveying direction to form the stream of ions. The ion guide () includes an ion gate () arranged at an ion gate position on the ion guide path, wherein the ion gate () is adapted to provide an open state for allowing the ions passing the ion gate position when being conveyed along the ion guide path and a closed state for preventing the ions from passing the ion gate position. The ion guide () further includes a first arrangement () of conveying electrodes () arranged along the ion guide path, the first arrangement () of conveying electrodes () extending over a first section of the ion guide path, wherein the first section of the ion guide path reaches from at least the ion gate position downstream to at least a transition position on the ion guide path, wherein the first arrangement () of conveying electrodes () is adapted for generating first travelling waves having a first travelling wave amplitude and travelling along the first section of the ion guide path at a first travelling wave velocity for conveying the ions along the first section of the ion guide path. Furthermore, the ion guide () includes a second arrangement () of conveying electrodes () arranged along the ion guide path, the second arrangement () of conveying electrodes () extending over a second section of the ion guide path, wherein the second section of the ion guide path reaches from the transition position downstream, wherein the second arrangement () of conveying electrodes () is adapted for generating second travelling waves having a second travelling wave amplitude and travelling along the second section of the ion guide path at a second travelling wave velocity for conveying the ions along the second section of the ion guide path. According to the method, the stream of ions is modulated with the ion gate () according to the modulation function and AC voltages are applied to the first arrangement () of conveying electrodes () for generating the first travelling waves and to the second arrangement () of conveying electrodes () for generating the second travelling waves for conveying the ions downstream of the ion gate () along the first section and the second section of the ion guide path in the conveying direction away from the ion gate (), wherein for each ion species of the at least N different ion species, a ratio A is the average velocity of the ions of the respective ion species in the first section of the ion guide path divided by the first travelling wave velocity, wherein for each ion species of the at least N different ion species, a ratio B is the average velocity of the ions of the respective ion species in the second section of the ion guide path divided by the second travelling wave velocity, wherein the first travelling wave amplitude, the first travelling wave velocity, the second travelling wave amplitude and the second travelling wave velocity are chosen such that for each ion species of the at least N different ion species, the ratio A is larger than the ratio B.

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Heimberg, Switzerland

Stephan Graf